Written By: Adam Pick, Affected person Advocate, Writer & Web site Founder
Web page Final Up to date: Might 23, 2025
I acquired a really attention-grabbing notice from John Bryan, a coronary heart valve affected person. I share John’s story to not scare you however somewhat to coach you particular to the realities of valvular defects, coronary heart valve alternative sturdiness, and cardiac monitoring.
After Coronary heart Valve Surgical procedure, John Was Good
Here’s what John wrote to me:
Adam, I’m undecided the right way to share this.
There are problems that may come up from a bioprosthetic aortic valve carrying out. So you understand, I by no means heard about this.
My congenitally deformed aortic valve was changed with a tissue valve in 2007. I had no restrictions and no meds. I used to be very energetic after surgical procedure. I performed basketball, rode a motorbike 100 miles every week, did week lengthy bike excursions, and had no points.
Yearly I adopted up with a really properly credentialed heart specialist. All was good.
Problems Happen
Two years in the past, nevertheless, I had a respiratory problem driving up a steep mountain street. I chalked it off to being drained, having a chilly, no matter. A few months later, I had a hypertension episode and an unusually top coronary heart fee. I used to be at a trip house within the North Carolina mountains. An area heart specialist suspected the valve.
In the meantime, my platelets numbers, liver numbers and kidney numbers on blood work weren’t so good.
I attempted to comply with up with the heart specialist I had been seeing for years. He despatched me to a pulmonologist, then a hematologist/oncologist, after which liver docs. After months of adverse take a look at outcomes, I went again to the native heart specialist and obtained a referral to a cardiac structural specialists group.
TAVR Valve-in-Valve Resets John’s Blood
Ultimately, after extra months of testing, I had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) process in North Carolina. Only one week later, all my blood work was regular.
My understanding is that my aortic valve was failing for about 4 years and my coronary heart was over-compensating. It precipitated the fitting facet coronary heart stress to be elevated which in flip trigger cardiac cirrhosis, congested kidneys, and possibly everlasting coronary heart harm.
This all occurred as a result of they let the valve go too lengthy.
John’s Cautionary Recommendation
The warning is for folks to look at the pressures on the fitting facet of the center after they get annual echocardiograms. If it begins rising, which mine did in 2018, it could possibly be a problem with the tissue valve alternative.
I’m form of okay now. The TAVR was 3.5 months in the past. They’ve obtained me on a number of completely different medication together with entresto, jardiance, metoprolol and furosemide. The technical prognosis is coronary heart failure with out signs. I can experience my bike on mountain roads. I’m nonetheless following as much as discover out if the liver problem is everlasting and to seek out out the extent of the everlasting coronary heart harm.
I don’t know if this has ever been researched or if I’m a one off, but it surely is a matter for valve alternative sufferers. So, I wished to share it with all the center valve sufferers in our group.
Might 23, 2025 Miracle Replace from John
Upon posting this story, I despatched John a thanks notice for sharing his experiences with our group. Shortly thereafter, I acquired this e mail from John:
“Hello Adam, There have been vital updates since I initially despatched my story to you. My coronary heart recovered fully. When the first echo got here again displaying my coronary heart was regular, I claimed a “miracle”. The surgeon wasn’t positive what to name it. At my 1-year follow-up echo, a couple of weeks in the past, the surgeon referred to me as his “miracle baby”. They launched me from the specialty clinic with directions to comply with up yearly with an everyday heart specialist. Additionally, my liver cardiac cirrhosis reversed and the liver is ok. I’ve had 3 units of blood work for the reason that TAVR and all the pieces is in regular ranges. I nonetheless declare a miracle!” — John Bryan
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Thanks for all you do to assist educate sufferers!
Greatest regards,
John Bryan
